Date: June 2023

Time: 1:30 PM

Location: UPAC Neighborhood Enterprise Center, 5296 University Ave., Suite A-B, San Diego, CA 92105

SAN DIEGO — Refugee students in fourth grade and above took part in the 2023 ROOTS STEM Camp, a hands-on summer program designed to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics engaging and accessible to young learners.

ROOTS student volunteers led activities that encouraged participants to build, test, observe, and solve problems rather than simply listen to lectures. The program grew from earlier work introducing refugee children to robotics and technology and began expanding into a broader range of scientific subjects.

Working with students of different ages and English-language backgrounds also helped shape ROOTS’ teaching approach. Volunteers used demonstrations, drawings, simple explanations, and hands-on examples to make concepts easier to understand. Students were encouraged to participate even when they were unsure of an answer and to see experimentation as a process of trying, observing, and trying again.

About ROOTS

ROOTS, the Refugee Children’s Organization for Tech and Science, is a youth-led volunteer organization dedicated to expanding access to STEM education and enrichment opportunities for refugee children in San Diego. Through partnerships with refugee-serving organizations, schools, universities, and community institutions, ROOTS organizes free STEM camps, STEM Days, educational field trips, book drives, benefit concerts, and other programs designed to build curiosity, confidence, friendship, and community among young learners. We can be reached at rootsclubsd@gmail.com